Exercise torpedo



Oct. 17, 1961 B. w. ABRAMS EXERCISE TORPEDO 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 1, 1958 INVENTOR.

BERNARD W. ABRAMS A TO RNEY

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 1, 1958 s mf e 5 e 3 H 2 G. W

a n m United States Patent 3,004,507 EXERCISE TORPEDO Bernard W. Abrams, South Euclid, Ohio, assignor to Clevite Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 1, 1958, Ser. No. 734,071 Claims. (Cl. 114-40) This invention pertains to a torpedo, and more particularly to an exercise, or test, torpedo which does not have an explosive warhead.

The US. Navy and many companies designing and building torpedoes perform many tests wherein a torpedo is run under water. During such tests there is no actual warhead, or explosive, within the torpedo. The absence of such a warhead upsets the normal buoyance and weight distribution of the torpedo, and thereby introduces a condition not found when the torpedo is fired under wartime conditions.

It is, therefore, highly desirable to provide a test or exercise torpedo which does not have an explosive warhead, but which otherwise is an exact duplicate in weight, weight balance and buoyancy of an actual torpedo.

Further, at the end of a test run it is essential that the torpedo be recovered, since it not only is very expensive, but within the torpedo there may be recorded information of great value pertaining to the performance of the torpedo under test conditions. i

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an exercise torpedo whose weight, weight balance and buoyancy are substantially identical to a torpedo having a warhead, and which will surface at the end of its test run so that it may be recovered.

Another object of the invention is to provide a test torpedo which has the normal negative buoyancy of a loaded torpedo, and which at the end of its run will operate to reduce its weight to the point that it is positively buoyant and will come to the surface.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a simple, relatively inexpensive system of dumping weight from a test torpedo at the end of its run so that the torpedo will surface, the system being operative over a wide range of positional aspects of the torpedo. V

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

An aspect of the present invention lies in the provision of an exercise or test torpedo having a hull with a shotloaded compartment in it, and a trap door in the compartment for dumping the shot. The trap door is controlled electrically in circuit with the regular electrical system of the torpedo drive so that upon the torpedo being fired the electrical system maintains the trap door closed. In addition to the electrical holding circuit a mechanical lock holds the trap door closed when the electrical circuit is deenergized, and after the torpedo sinks in water to a given depth a hydrostat removes the mechanical lock, leaving the trap door under the control of the electrical circuit. Thereafter when the torpedo finishes its run and the electrical circuit is deenergized, the trap door opens, the shot spills out even though the torpedo may be tilted to a considerable degree, and with a positive buoyancy thereby established the torpedo comes to the surface.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a torpedo showing the warhead section.

FIGURE 2 is a block diagram of the mechanism of this invention.

FIGURE 3 is a broken-away sectional view taken through the warhead section.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 3: and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view showing the details of the hydrostat which is shown in FIGURE 3.

With reference to FIGURE 1 of the drawing there is shown a torpedo having the usual hull 10, propellers and guide mechanism at the rear end, an acoustic nose 11, and immediately behind the nose 11 the warhead section 12.

For test runs the warhead section 12 is not loaded with explosives, but is replaced with a section 12 shown in 1 FIGURE 3 which contains lead shot and recording equipment to simulate the warhead section 12 in Weight and center of gravity, and which additionally releases its lead load at the end of the test run to cause the torpedo to become positively buoyant and rise to the surface.

FIGURE 2 shows in block diagram form the elements of the torpedo essential to the explanation of this invention. Briefly, the torpedo has propellers 15 and a motor 16 for driving them. A timer device 17 is connected to a battery 18 for activating the motor 16 at a suitable instant after the torpedo is launched. In addition to activating the motor 16 the timer 17 is connected to a solenoid 19 which is secured to a trap door 20, so that upon the torpedo becoming electrically energized the solenoid holds the trap door closed. Prior to the energization of the solenoid 19 the trap door 20 is held closed by a mechanical lock, symbolized in FIGURE 2 by the shaft 25 so that the trap door cannot come open duringstorage of the torpedo and during the handling prior to firing. A hydrostat 26 is connected to the retaining finger 25v and is pressure sensitive to cause it to withdraw the finger 25 when the torpedo reaches a depth of say 50 feet, prior to which time the torpedo is fully electrically activated and the solenoid 19 holds the trap door shut until the end of the test run. When the run is finished the solenoid is deenergized and the weight of the shot in the compartment above the trap door forces the door open, causing the shot to spill out, and the torpedo to rise to the surface. 45 t Within the simulated warhead section 12 is a compartment 30 which contains lead shot 31. The compartment 30 is annular in cross-section, as shown in FIGURE 4, having a central opening 32 through which control wires extend from the nose 11 to the aft sections of the torpedo. As shown in FIGURE 3 the upper section of the compartment 30 contains less shot 31 than the lower section since its dimension in a direction along the axis of the torpedo is substantially less than the corresponding dimension of the lower half. Thus there is a greater weight of shot in the lower half of the torpedo, assisting it in maintaining its proper position in the water. Com partment 30 is designed to be flooded by the sea water, and its walls prevent the sea water from entering the remainder of the torpedo.

The trap door 20 closes a large bottom opening 35 in the container, and a screen 36 closes a top opening 37 through which the shot 31 is loaded into the compartment 30.

The trap door 20 is held in the opening 35 by means of the rod 40 connected to solenoid 19 which is secured to the wall 42 of the compartment 30 by means of nut 43. When the solenoid 19 is electrically energized the trap door 20 is held closed.

A mechanical lock is provided to hold the trap door 20 closed until the solenoid 19 becomes electrically energized upon firing of the torpedo. The mechanical lock is comprised of the shaft 25 which extends out of the hydrostat 26 mounted in the wall of the container 30. The details of the hydrostat 26 are shown in FIGURE 6.

When 'the' torpedo-submerges 'the interior of compartment 30 is floodedwith seat water through top and bottom screens 36, 20, thereby equalizing the interior and exterior pressures so that trap door 20' may readily open even at great depths.

When the torpedo reaches a given depth, say 50 feet,

the hydrostat 26' causes the locking shaft 25 to be Withdrawn from engagementwith the plunger of the solenoid 19-,'thereby leaving the trap door 20'under the sole control of the solenoid 19.

The hydrostat is comprised of a housing 50 having a cylindrical chamber 51 in which a piston 52 is mounted on. The piston 52 is biased forwardly by spring 54 mounted around guide pin 56 which slides in the cup 57 secured in the rear end of the housing 50 by lock ring 58. When water pressure on the piston 52 overcomes the bias of spring 54 the piston moves, withdrawing the locking shaft 25.

At the end of the torpedo run the trap door 20 opens, and even though the torpedo may be tilted, shot will spill out of the opening 35, and as the torpedo is lightened it will. rise to the surface where it can be recovered.

While there have been described what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and it is,

therefore, aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In an exercise torpedo having a hull, motor means for driving said torpedo through the water, electrical niean-s for energizing said motor means, a compartment in the hull of said torpedo having an opening therein and adapted to communicate with sea water upon launching of. the torpedo, a trap door in the said compartment, heavy shot in said compartment, solenoid means in circuit with said electrical means and connected to said trap door for maintaining said trap door closed while said motor means is energized, a hydrostat mechanically coupled to said trap door maintaining said trap door closed until said torpedo sinks in water to a given depth at which the water pressure actuates said hydrostat to decouple said hydrostat from said trap door, said electrical means d'eenergizing said solenoid at the end of said torpedos run thereby causing said trap door to open to allow said shot to spill out and lighten said torpedo.

2. In an exercise torpedo having a hull, motor means for driving said torpedo through the water, electrical means for energizing said motor means, a compartment in said hull having an opening to the outside thereof, a trap door in said opening in said compartment, heavy shot held within said compartment by said trap door, hydrostat means holding said trap door shut during handling and firing of said torpedo, solenoid means connected to said electrical means and energized by the firing of said torpedo for holding said trap door shut after the firing of said torpedo, said hydrostat means at a given depth being actuated by the water. pressure to release its hold on said trap door, and said solenoid means at the end of the torpedo run deenergizing under the control of said electrical means to open said trap door and cause said shot to spill out of said compartment.

3. An exercise torpedo as set forth in claim 2, further characterized in that said compartment is open to the water, whereby water pressure does not force said trap door shut.

4. An exercise torpedo as set forth in claim 3, further characterized in that said hydrostat is mounted in the wall of said compartment and is actuated by the pressure of water Within said compartment.

5. An exercise torpedo as set forth in claim 3, further characterized in that said compartment has a second opening therein at the top of said torpedo whereby said compartment may easily be filled with shot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,097,700 Whiting May 26, 1914 1,180,366 Asbury Apr. 25, 1916 1,490,995 Van Metre et al Apr. 22, 1924 1,527,782 Brandt et a1 Feb. 24, 1925 2,412,223 Leonard Dec. 10, 1946 2,824,537 Boyle Feb. 25, 1958 

